What the Muslims in America Can Do

You may get a hundred different answers from a hundred American Muslims about what it means to be an American Muslim. The controversial Islamic center near ground zero, while pouring salt in a yet widely-open national wound, did begin to awaken us to the yet unfought war of ideas within the “House of Islam.” Many of us reform-minded Muslims have been waging that war of ideas for most of our adult life, long before 9/11. But time has shown that we cannot wage this battle alone.

It may not seem to matter much for a faith community that is barely 1 percent of the population, but American Muslims carry an invaluable ability to influence the ideologies of over 1.5 billion Muslims — over a fifth of the world’s population. Until middle America realizes how our national security hangs in the balance of that intellectual war within Islam, our security will never improve.

The last 12 months have seen the most arrests and attacks of radical Islamists on Americans since 9/11. This was confirmed to Congress last month by Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, who also finally acknowledged the growing homegrown threat of radical Muslims.

Sadly, many of my co-religionists called on by media to speak for American Muslims too often wallow in denial, simply deflecting any responsibility by distancing themselves from radicals or myopically equating Muslim radicals to those of other faiths. They willfully ignore the main ideological conveyor belt towards radicalism — political Islam.

Most Americans no longer accept these detached irresponsible dismissals from leading American Muslims. They see so many examples of American Muslim clerics who condemn terror out of one side of their mouth while deceptively amplifying victimology, Islamophobia, anti-Americanism and morally vacant justifications from the other.

Reasonably said…however even though Frontpage will distribute your article, they and especially some of the people that post here don't believe in "moderate" Islam or and kind of "good" or decent Muslim. Whether you know it or not you want to take over the world and you will stop at nothing to do it. Sure you'll pretend and write articles, but it's just to soften up the target for jihad. The only thing you could do to please the crazies in this country is to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and savior…right now would be best.

Personally I think all you religious people cause more problems than you solve. Just giving you a heads up.

Realist

The sad thing is that what he says is fundamentally un-Islamic and Muslims around the world will recognise it as such. Western values were founded on Judeo-Christianity as much as the humanist values of non-believers, despite what the fundamentalists would want us to believe.

Read a science book daily, folks.

traeh

It is not only Christian fundies who are suspicious of so-called Muslim moderates. Not at all. Many are suspicious merely out of a dislike for theocracy and a preference for freedom. True, one can take the suspicion of "moderates" too far. There are some genuine moderates. But it's also true that many non-moderate Muslims have posed as moderates. Many say one thing to English and Western audiences, and another thing to Arab Muslim audiences. Given the repeated experience that many so-called moderates are in fact faithful believers in Muhammad's totalitarian example, and given the fact that, while there are moderate Muslims, there is no moderate Islam — no significant mainstream ideological movement adhered to by large numbers of Muslims that repudiates all the totalitarianism in Islam's core documents — given all that, it's perfectly understandable that people are suspicious of so-called moderate Muslims. And you don't have to be a Christian, or a Jew, to feel that way.

http://www.resonoelusono.com/NaturalBornCitizen.htm Alexander Gofen

"What it means to be an American Muslim?" – Oxymoron!

America is a Judeo-Christian nation. Why even to come here if you are to are going to stay Moslem?!

Gunner57

What is Jasser going to do? Invent a new Islam? One that deletes half of the Koran and ignores rest of the Islamic texts. Disregard the acts and deeds of the wicked "prophet"?

BTW, bubba I'm one of those crazy Christians to whom you refer, you know, the kind that made this country possible.

We have about as many Buddhists in this country as we do Muslims. I've never heard anyone ever complain about a Buddhist problem or stopping their immigration into our country. Why could that be?

John Beatty

Why not? Christians and Jews have sects and factions, as does every major faith. "Reinventing" an ideology isn't that hard; getting others to follow is harder.

Murray

All of the major Christian and Jewish "denominations" agree on the same fundamentals of their respective faiths – there is no wholesale "reinventing". The minor "factions" are usually considered cults because they disagree with the basic fundamentals, hence are not considered Christian or Jewish by the maintstream orthodoxy.

Some of the problematic portions of the Qur'an are unfortunately fundamental aspects of Islam – to both Sunni and Shia, and reinforced by their Hadiths. That's why you don't see sects or factions that reject such teachings, and if there were they would be considered apostate. Who do you think is blowing up these mosques in Pakistan?

Realist

The Catholic Church reinvents all the time. It no longer believes the Creation story of Genesis now that Evolution is universally recognised as scientifically true. Heaven and Hell is now not a physical place but a question of one's relation with God. Limbo no longer exists. And on and on…..Infallibility of the Pope, the Immaculate Conception, Christmas as the birthday of Christ..

No point in saying they are not Christian. They were the ones who started the ball rolling.

traeh

The change is less deep than you make out, and much slower. And some things about the core doctrines will probably never change.

Islam is totalitarian in its core documents. Muhammad's example, as exemplified in the earliest Muslim biography, is totalitarian. Can Islam reform? Nothing is impossible, but it would be foolish to bank on something almost as unlikely as pigs flying.

Abu jahl said to them: "Muhammad alleges that if you follow him you will be kings of the Arabs and the Persians. Then after death you will be raised to gardens like those of the Jordan. But if you do not follow him you will be slaughtered, and when you are raised from the dead you will be burned in the fire of hell." The apostle [Muhammad] came out to them with a handful of dust saying: "I do say that."

traeh

You make the mistake of supposing that reform in Islam will be as easy as in Catholicism. But Catholics consider their religious texts to have been written by imperfect human beings inspired by God. Muslims consider the Qur'an to be God's own verbatim transcript. It is much harder to reform God's own verbatim words than it is to reform texts and interpretations written by inspired but fallible human beings.

hijinx60

The Apostles were the ones that "got the ball rolling", and the Bible also doesn't mention the word 'pope'. Read "Foxe's Book of Martyrs" written in the 17th century by John Foxe, it will give you some things

Murray

Despite the changes you cite (which I agree are quite ludicrous), the fundamentals, even within the Catholic tradition, have remained firm.

You are wrong however, in your claim that the Catholic Church "started the ball rolling" – that's just patently misinformed.

ObamaYoMoma

The words of the Koran are understood to be the uncreated words of Allah as delivered by Muhammad, Allah’s final messenger, and as such they are absolutely perfect and immutable. Hence, who is going to have the audacity to claim that the divine words of Allah contained in the Koran are not perfect and should be changed because they are wrong? A mere mortal man that is flawed by definition? Yeah right! Go ahead and try it and see how long it will take before you get executed for blasphemy in the process. That’s the problem all potential reformers are instantly seen as blasphemers and blasphemers and apostates in Islam are executed.

http://www.resonoelusono.com/NaturalBornCitizen.htm Alexander Gofen

"What it means to be an American Muslim?" – Oxymoron!

America is a Judeo-Christian nation. Why even to come here if one is going to stay Moslem?!

David

The reason for increasing Islamic terrorist plots is that the USA has got a week, Manchurian president sympathetic to Islam rather than to defending the USA and the enemy knows it. Kudos to Dr. Zuhdi Jasser but Islam is the enemy of democracy, enlightenment, progress, happiness and the biggest threat to peace and humanity in the world.

poptoy

It is time for Good Muslims to stop the bad ones or else!!!!!!!!!

Carolyn

I shake my hoary head each time I hear or read the words "MODERATE MUSLIM. Why?
Because every Muslim reads the same Qur'an: the Qur'an that tells them to destroy or convert all infidels – Jews, Christians plus. Domination of the whole world is their goal and every Muslim is ordered to help further the goal – with taqiyya.

John Beatty

Every Christian is supposed to read the same Bible, yet the prescriptions of Deutoronomy that require all those of the faith to destroy those who are not are usually ignored. Why is that?

I also remember something about a mote in one eye…

Murray

Mosaic Law was for the nation of Israel, at that time, in their history. It is not applicable to the Church today. We live under the law of Christ.

Realist

So, did God change her mind? Recognise that all this religious stuff is fundamentally unscientific. Christ was a Jew who came with a message for Jews. Paul was the guy who decided to spread the "good news" far and wide. We live under the law of Paul who never knew Christ personally.

He, like Mohammed and Julius Ceasar was an epileptic.

pianoforte54

Jesus DID appear to Paul on the road to Damascus.. so Realist, if you are not a Christian, you can read the Bible and say whatever you think it says to you. If you are interested in really knowing the Bible, that's one thing, but it sounds to me that any clarification to you on something the Bible says, is like throwing pearls to the swine.

guest

You don't have eyes to see or ears to hear, so shouldn't speak because you don't know what you are saying.

Murray

Realist,

You create discord by unnecessarily referring to God as a 'her' – no I won't get side-tracked into your trap.

You try and introduce new dimensions to the argument by stating that religious stuff is fundamentally unscientific. Of course we could debate that, but it is a smoke-screen again to divert attention from your erroneous statements – let's stick to those and the responses from your critics.

You make theological statements that are absurd such as "Christ was a Jew who came with a message for Jews" – implying Gentiles were never included in God's plan, which is false.

You imply Paul's message was not that of Christ because you allege he never knew Christ, challenging whether Christians live under the law of Christ. Even though Paul didn't need to know Christ to know his message, he did know Him. And yes, Christians do live under the law of Christ.

Even though you appeal to science has a higher form of reason, you are quick to proclaim medical diagnoses such as epilepsy without evidence – you undermine your own position!

1 of 2

Murray

2 of 2

Because of all this artful dodging, you've not provided one sensible argument against my assertion that the Mosaic Law was for the nation of Israel, at that time, in their history, and so is not applicable to the Church today.

My assertion was in response to your claim that these laws in Deuteronomy are somehow being ignored. I've clearly explained how that is not so – you might play fair and either concede you didn't realise that was the case (and maybe even retract your statement), or justify your position theologically.

guest

We are not isrealites of the time of jacob but followers of Jesus Christ

ObamaYoMoma

Every Christian is supposed to read the same Bible, yet the prescriptions of Deutoronomy that require all those of the faith to destroy those who are not are usually ignored. Why is that?

Nonsense, the verses for Deuteronomy pertain for a specific time, they are not open ended verses valid for all time the same way the verses contained in the Koran are, which is why Judaism never became a militant ideology bent on world conquest the same way only Islam is.

Indeed, it is only inculcated leftwing naïve and gullible hacks that stupidly morally equate Christianity and Judaism to Islam in response to Islamic motivated terrorist attacks, even though Christianity and Judaism have nothing whatsoever to do with the motivations of Islamic jihadists. In other words, moonbats use the excuse of Islamic terrorist attacks to vilify and demonize Christians and Jews for the acts of Muhammadan terrorists by equating them to Muhammadan terrorists, even though it is not Christians and Jews perpetrating terrorist attacks around the world.

Therese

Because Christians are no longer under law, ie, the OLD TESTAMENT! Deuteronomy was for the time of Moses! We follow the teachings of Christ, hence the name Christian. We are to love others as ourselves, and to pray for our enemies, not kill them if they disagree with us!

Trumpeldor

Well, Muslims in America can leave …..

http://www.crusaderknight.blogspot.com James Pawlak

It would be best if all Muslims very publicly and very powerfully rejected all of those teachings of Islam which allow or encourage or command the use of murder, rape and enslavement, genocide, perpetual war with "unbelievers" and the goal of destroying democracy and all true religions. That reform would be aided by public statements that Mohammed was a murderer, bandit, liar and treaty breaker and the sexual abuser of a
nine-year-young girl-child.

MECCA DELENDA EST!

Carolyn

John Beatty, you are confusing the Bible with the Qur'an. Yes, many awful things are recorded in the Old Testament. BUT that was 2000 years ago, and neither Jews nor Christians do those things today! We have become civilized!
The followers of the Qur'an, however, are still obeying the 8th century teachings of chopping off heads (remember Daniel Pearl the journalist who was beheaded on TV ) Read 8:12 in the Qur'an if you don't believe me. And for an all-over view of Islamic teachings, read The Verse of the Sword" 9:5.

Murray

Carolyn, I agree entirely – see my posts above, especially the point regarding the applicability of Deuteronomical commandments.

Chezwick_Mac

The only satisfactory outcome for what Mr Jasser is advocating would be the mass repudiation of central tenets of Islam – the jihad imperative, the supremacism of Islam, the barbaric hudud punishments, and the profoundly amoral example of the "Prophet" Muhammad – none of which is at all likely. I've thought about this question for almost a decade…and I've come to believe that the Muslim world must look OUTSIDE the traditions of Islam in order to solve their problems and reform their societies. We in the West undermine this possibility every time we validate Islam as a "religion of peace", and every time we subsidize failing Muslim economies with aid not linked to societal reform.

As for Muslims in the West, there is simply no mechanism for effectively distinguishing who is a "moderate" and who is not. Who is to say that today's moderate won't be tomorrow's radical? The only plausible solution is immigration restrictions on Muslims.

Gunner57

There is only one sane and peacful solution to this problem with Muslims invading our country. We must STOP THEM FROM INVADING US THROUGH OUR INSANE IMMIGRATION LEGAL!! POLICIES!!!!

Why would any sane society accept these followers of Muhammad into our nation?

This is primarily an immigration problem. Unfortunately, it has gone way beyond that and we must start deporting those who support Muhahammd along with Sharia law.

Gunner57

So called conservative talk show hosts lack the backbone to deal with this immigration travesty. Two national shows this morning discussed the problem of having Muslims in the United States without even once asking themselves – WHAT THE HECK ARE THE DOING HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE???

Did it ever occur to these politically correct dhimmis to even wonder about our legal immigration policies? NO. In fact, they actually brag that they support ALL legal immigration. Quite frankly, with that mindset, I'd rather have some hard working Mexicans.

jacob

I suspect the censor will stop it bt in nthis issue I stick to whatYOSHIRO SAGAMORI once
wrote :

Every practicing MUSLIM is a terrorist…

It is what has been hammered into his head from craddle to grave and it is what his
"religion" expects from him

Whoever wants to accept it or deny it, it is up to him..
The only bad thing is tk awaken and find what she said was the Gospel….

Andres de Alamaya

So-called "good Muslims" can do no more to curb Jihad and/or stealth Jihad than you and I can curb crime among drug gangs or teen gangs. Eliminating or curbing anti-social elements in society is the work of government and law enforcement agencies. We need new legislation that comes down hard on any politicians or academics or anyone in a position of influence who take "contributions" from Wahhabi Saudis or The Brotherhood or Hamas, etc. And we don't have a hope in hell for this during Obama's reign.

guest

My muslim friends hate violence, but they say the koran can't be changed to eliminate it because the koran is the word of allah god. They say they are like what we would classify as moderate muslims or even secular muslims. But they can't let it be known because the true believers would judge them as offending islam, and would execute punishment. They especially would be afraid for their fathers to know. The koran allows muslims to judge, and if they judge someone guilty, they are allowed to execute punishment, even death. And families certainly do kill other family members who are judged guilty of offending islam. And a huge percentage of the people here still don't seem to know about all this.

Atlas_Collins

Islam is evil and all muslims are subhuman feral animals that should be euthanized like rabid dogs.

Islam is at war with the entire non-islamic world and has been for over 1,400 years. By the tenets of Islam, all muslims dwell in "Dar al Salaam" (The Camp of Peace) while all non-muslims dwell in "Dar al Harb" (The Camp of War).

Therefore every muslim is the enemy. Every single one.

Islam Delenda Est!

ObamaYoMoma

It may not seem to matter much for a faith community that is barely 1 percent of the population, but American Muslims carry an invaluable ability to influence the ideologies of over 1.5 billion Muslims — over a fifth of the world’s population.

How when the tiny minority of reform minded Muhammadans living in America and other Western countries are seen by the much greater majority of Muhammadans practicing true Islam not only in America but also around the world as apostates and blasphemers that should be executed? Hence, I can’t see how so-called reformist Muhammadans with miniscule followings can have an invaluable ability for influence.

Until middle America realizes how our national security hangs in the balance of that intellectual war within Islam, our security will never improve.

Concentrating on a so-called intellectual battle within Islam is ludicrous, as outside the West and in the Islamic world, there isn’t an intellectual battle going on. Not to mention that the so-called intellectual battle within Islam and within the West exist for the most part inside the minds of only the few reformist Muhammadans. To Muhammadans that practice the true Islam, reformists Muhammadans again are apostates and blasphemers that should be executed. The only influence they have is why haven’t they been executed already.

The last 12 months have seen the most arrests and attacks of radical Islamists on Americans since 9/11.

In the ummah, the so-called reformists Muhammadans are seen as the radicals as their beliefs, practices, and what they advocate are so antithetical with mainstream Islam.

Since I’ve read fatwas issued by Imams in the Islamic world giving permission for Muhammadans to pretend to be reformists Muhammadans, I have to admit that sometimes I wonder about Dr. Zuhdi Jasser and if it is all a great big act. I mean if we are supposed to listen to him, we are supposed to concentrate only on this practically non-existence ideological war taking place in the Islamic world and assist these reformists, when the reality is the vast overwhelming majority of Muhammadans in the world see Jasser and his ilk as apostates and blasphemers of Islam that should be executed.

Carolyn

Obama Yomama, your doubts about Jasser are identical to mine! Again I say, There is no such thing as a MODERATE MUSLIM" because they all read the same Qur'an and they all practice taqiyya, the Arabic word for DECEPTION! They talk differently among themselves than they do to us "infidels."

henryCrux

Democrats see Muslims as allies because the Muslim, like the Democrat, see abortion as a victim-less procedure. The Muslim must believe that a baby is not a person until it gulps in it's first breath of air in which the spirit or soul of said baby is waiting to enter it and take over the once totally empty body. Democrats also believe in this superstitious view of procreation. They believe that a baby is not a baby until it breaths in its spirit from the hand of Allah, or God, or whatever. That is why all Democrats love Islam. They say, in step with the Koran, "An unborn baby is not a person yet until it breathes its spirit laden first breath". The Democrats are not fools, they know that sooner or later Abortion is apt to be made by law again into a criminal offence with real punishments – how to forestall that? Make friends with anybody anywhere who believes under penalty that Abortion murder is a VICTIMLESS CRIME ! (STILL WANT TO BE FRIENDS WITH DEMOCRATS?)

Reason_For_Life

The ancient Hebrew god was every bit as vicious and petty as Allah. Yahweh mercilessly slew the first born of Egypt, commanded the Jews to commit genocide against the Amalekites and the Midianites as well as instructed his "chosen people" to kill "everything that breathes" on land the he "gave" the Jews even though it was occupied by others.

The reason should be obvious, both gods are patterned after the desert sheik, the brutal leader of a band of marauders. Allah and Yahweh are that sheik given unlimited power, a vicious monster on cosmic steroids.

Any religion that demands submission of the individual will ultimately become the Taliban.

Prior to the Enlightenment European Christianity was indistinguishable from modern Islam. The murder of apostates, the burning of witches, the destruction of the temples of other religions and the imprisonment or execution of scientists were all standard operating procedure for Catholicism. First, the Renaissance which brought Greek art and reason back to civilization, then the Enlightenment which ended the rule of unreason that the Catholic Church had put in place for centuries.

The difference between modern Christianity and modern Islam is the Enlightenment which nullified the gross irrationality of Christianity while Islam remained untouched by reason.

http://www.resonoelusono.com/NaturalBornCitizen.htm Alexander Gofen

"The ancient Hebrew god was every bit as vicious and petty as Allah."

Your statement is arrogant (at very least): particularly for a person under screen name Reason_For_Life… The scholars would rebuff you in many ways, why your parallel between Judaism and Islam is wrong. It is true, that the G-d in the Bible is not depicted as a "modern days counselor". A process of formation of the minds of the peoples (as miserable as they happened to be) was painful. Some of His experiments failed and required even the "restart from scratch"…

Yet Islam is not so much about the actions of G-d, but rather about the ugly life and actions of Mohammed.

The last but not the least. This is America, a Judeo-Christian nation. HERE we have all the rights to value our own Religion and traditions (whichever they are) above anything else in the world, period. (Not to mention, that the achievements of the Judeo-Christian civilization OBJECTIVELY exceed everything the humankind has ever known.

Reason_For_Life

Freedom of religion is an Enlightenment concept that was fought by various churches with all their might. Roger Williams, the best man by far of the truly religious individuals in early America was banned from Massachusetts by the Calvin based Congregationalists and threatened with death if he were to return. His crime? Preaching religious tolerance!!!

The Congregationalists were among the most bigoted Christians in America. Everyone is familiar with Jefferson's letter to the Danbury Baptists but virtually no one has read the letter from the Danbury Baptists that prompted Jefferson's reply. The Danbury group was being forced to pay to support the established Congregationalist church of Connecticut. An example of religious tolerance?

Was the hanging of witches by these same people another example of religious tolerance?

For well over one hundred years there was compulsory bible reading in public schools. So "tolerant" were the Christians of Pennsylvania that when the Penn Supreme Court ruled in 1873 that Catholics could do their reading from the Douay Bible instead of the King James version there was a riot in which two churches were burned to the ground and 20 people died. Even more tolerance I assume.

No scholar dedicated to facts (that is any non-Talmudic "scholar") would not dispute a single statement that I made. There is no arrogance in calling a spade a spade.

I got quite a laugh out of your characterizing the mass murders committed by your god as a kind of learning experience in which God learns that massacres of the innocent might not be the best way to handle matters. Mankind as a "failed experiment"? The god of the Bible is a vicious murdering monster, cruel, vindictive and incorrigibly evil.

The only good thing that can be said for the ancient Hebrew tribes is that there is virtually no evidence that the massacres that they so proudly documented ever occurred. There was no flood, no Midianite massacre and no Egyptian plagues. They lied to impress people with the power of their god.

http://www.resonoelusono.com/NaturalBornCitizen.htm Alexander Gofen

"There is no arrogance in calling a spade a spade", yet it is arrogant to call G-d vicious as if you understood what He is doing.

" … a kind of learning experience in which God learns that massacres of the innocent might not be the best way to handle matters"

It is the mankind (rather than God) which is supposed to learn how to live Godly, yet fails. And yes, it may happen that this "Mankind is a failed experiment" again.

In any case, this turn of the discussion is unrelated to the article, and I will not continue it here any more.

BS1977

less burqa, more bikini

INOV8TN

Apparently the only option available to Muslims who have been enlightened to the point of the current Judeo-Christian culture is to independently drop out of society and reappear in a new place with a new name and a different religious affiliation.

Chris Delzell

Terrorist attacks in 2010:
In the name of Islam: 226 attacks which killed 1028 people.
In the Name of Atheism: 2 attacks kill 10 people
In the name of all other religions: one Hindu attack kills Christian

In 2007 Islam and Judaism's holiest holidays overlapped for 10 days.
Muslims racked up 397 dead bodies in 94 terror attacks across 10
countries during this time… while Jews worked on their 159th Nobel Prize

Columbine was committed by Athiests
Stalin, Hitler, Mussolini, Putin, the Cambodian terrorists that killed 40% of their fellow countrymen 1.5 million were all Atheist

110,000,000 People have been killed by offshoots of Atheism in the 20th century
Islam kills an average of 4,228,000 people a century.

Unable to find any recent acts of violence in the name of Christianity, or any major attacks by Christians on ANYONE except in direct self-defense or direct defense of innocents in which they were not condemned by their fellow Christians. I will list the now clearer 40,000 killed in the Spanish Inquisition.

Remember: Christians still apologize for the Inquisition.
Islam continues
Atheism wants to start all over again.

Who is more violent again?

Chris Delzell

That should say "Islam continue the Jihad"
They aren't exactly peaceful, even if Atheists make them look like sheep.

guest

you all are ignorant– asserting what you do not know

Mohamed El Djazairi

I am an Algerian born US citizen for more than fifty years. Please do not assume all born Muslims are practicing Islam. In mu judgement all religions are just a the worst human fraud. No one is for sure who wrote all the Torah, the new Testament and the Quran…all texts are written…according to Moise…according to Jesus…according to Mohamed …or according to..We know for fact now Moise never existed and never spent time in Pharao Egypt…Abraham did hear God….because at that time Abraham had a special telephone line…with God…Sciences will prove all the written religious text are the product of some individuals interested in controlling their citizens…